THERE'S a shadow on the grass That was never there before; And the ripples as they pass Whisper of an unseen oar; And the song we knew by rote Seems to falter in the throat, And a footfall, scarcely noted, lingers near the open door. Omens that were once but jest Now are messengers of fate; And the blessing held the best Cometh not or comes too late. Yet, whatever life may lack, Not a blown leaf beckons back, "Forward!" is the summons. "Forward! where the new horizons wait." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WOOING by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR THE STIRRUP-CUP by SIDNEY LANIER ITALIA, IO TI SALUTO!' by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI THE BLESSED DAMOZEL by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST by ALISON RUTHERFORD THE GREENWOOD SHRIFT; GEORGE III AND A DYING WOMAN IN WINDSOR FOREST by ROBERT SOUTHEY RELEASE by GLADYS NAOMI ARNOLD |